ScreenCrave.com » Rainn Wilson

Hesher: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 12 May 2011 23:30:10 +0000

This will actually be my second review of Hesher, and I’m back, because with some good edits, a sound remix and some well places music this movie has officially reached the potential that I saw in it back so Sundance 2010 (read first review review). Prepare for the awesome, well acted, original film that is Hesher. Now let’s see where I went wrong before…

The Players:

Directed by: Spencer Susser
Writing: Spencer Susser and David Michôd (screenplay), story by Brian Charles Frank
Actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Devin Brochu, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie and actress/producer Natalie Portman
Original Music by: Frank Tetaz (as Francois Tetaz)
Cinematography by: Morgan Susser

The Plot:

Hesher is here until you want him. This is a story about when everything goes wrong and you have no way out, sometimes an unexpected hero shows up at your door, and sometimes that hero comes with homemade tattoos, a rapist-looking van, and a sever violent streak. Let the fun begin!

Comparisons:

Old Review: “Some of these moments were great and others were a little awkward and it was mainly because of the music.”
Update: All these problems have been fixed. And what originally took you out of the film, now brings you in. The music helps with the odd tone and keeping you engaged throughout the film. The sound is perfect, the edit is tight — they’ve made this film the best that it can ever be and it works extremely well.

Old Review: “…it’s pretty basic in a lot of ways and the plot is somewhat predictable.”
Update: Perhaps I said this because of how this film played or perhaps I just had Sundance goggles on, but I can say that on the second viewing this film I found it fresh, original and though it plays out as expected in a way, I enjoyed the ride even more the second time through.

Old Review: “The kid in this movie is absolutely amazing. No doubt about it, he had a big part in front of him with lots of highs and lows and he dealt with it like a pro…. Wilson was completely believable and heart-wrenching.”
Update: This still holds true. Devin Brochu was what first made me like the film, now it’s why I love it. Rain Wilson was and is extraordinary and it’s great to see him tackles such a serious role.

Old Review: “Levitt was as always intriguing and fun to watch. There were some moments where he looked more like a character of himself…”
Update: With the sound fixed and a few edits, his character excels. Yes you have to go with his extreme character, but this time his fucked up Jesus, savior type impression was amazing (and know that I called him that, he’s never admitted to it and you can see in our interview with him) and his parables are ones to live by. Nicely done.

Overall:

This film is a fun ride, it’s got some great acting, it’s well made and well put together, I still don’t by Natalie Portman as “common”, but overall it’s a great pick, well worth your time and if any film has a sequel or spin-off, I hope it’s “On the Road with Hesher”

New Rating: 8.75/10

Hesher hits theaters May 13th!

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Trailer: Hesher Time for Some Rock N’ Roll Baby!

Mali Elfman — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:04:41 +0000

Director Spencer Susser is ready to rock your world, with one of the most bad-ass, hardcore films of the year, Hesher starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Devin Brochu, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie and actress/producer Natalie Portman. The film was bought out at Sundance in 2010 by Newmarket and has taken its sweet time working its way into theaters, maybe it’s because of Natalie Portman’s recent popularity/winning streak but for some reason it’s finally found it’s way in and I for one say fuck yeah. Check out the trailer below…

I was lucky enough to catch this film out at Sundance in 2010 (read review) and all I can say is that sometimes in the midst of death, starvation, homophobia and molestation it’s fun to watch a guy with a tattoo of a guy giving you the finger try to jump a bike into a pool and fall. That’s not to say that this film doesn’t have some heavy moments and some fine acting in it, in fact it’s the intensity and seriousness is what makes it all the more funny and entertaining.

The film isn’t perfect, it’s pretty basic in a lot of ways and has a few problems along the way (which may have been fixed in the new cut), but they’re all small and forgivable mainly because the film is such a fun ride filled with such amazing actors and colorful characters. And this film is 10x better than the majority of mainstream films inundating the cinemas.

The film hits theaters May 13th.

What do you think of the film? Think it’s worth the price of admission?

Interview: Rainn Wilson for Super

Damon Houx — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:00:01 +0000

Being a superhero ain’t easy according to Rainn Wilson. For one, the costumes suck. Rainn was talking about his latest film Super, which hits theaters and VOD Friday. The character James Gunn came up with for him is a slightly disturbed short-order cook, who loses his wife (Liv Tyler) to a scumbag and is told by God to become a superhero. It’s a strange film but Wilson was more than game to play his slightly off leading man, who gets a superhero side kick in Libby (Ellen Page) – a comic book fanatic more than happy to play along and forces her way into being his side kick and names herself “Bolty.” Check it out.

How do you like wearing spandex?

Rainn Wilson: Spandex sucks. It looks cool – well, supposedly it looks cool – but Shreveport in the winter, where they promised it was only going to be fifty degrees, was seventeen degrees the whole shoot. And we were running around all night and all day in spandex and it was crazy. It was not fun and stinky, it gets really stinky fast. And that cowl I wore was really sweaty and awful. But I don’t want to complain. Spandex was not the highlight so I don’t recommend it.

So they put you with a serious trainer in order for you to pull off this role?

RW: No training happened. I did have a stunt guy who did some of the stuff but the only thing I had to learn was how to shoot a gun. I’ve never been in a gun range before and I’ve never shot guns. Michael Rooker – who plays Abe in the movie who’s one of the thugs – is a big gun enthusiast. He has all kinds of guns and he took me to the gun range and we blasted away at targets. I was the only Prius in the parking lot. I went with my poet friend and he’s literally a poet who lives outside of Woodstock. The biggest peace-knick you’d ever know and he loves the gun range and he wants to go back. It’s so much fun and it’s really powerful.

In addition to your gun training and handling, any training for welding that pipe wrench (his character’s favorite weapon)?

RW: You know, the important thing here as why I didn’t do any training is that Frank is an ordinary guy. He’s an ordinary line-cooker, an ordinary schlub who becomes a superhero. And I never wanted him to feel that all of a sudden he becomes Chuck Norris or anything like that. He doesn’t do a triple back ninja flip or anything like that. He’s just an ordinary guy who’s on a mission. He’s obsessed, he’s driven and he just smashes in heads and that’s what I wanted. He puts on that costume and it changes how you walk, changes how you move, changes how you view the world. And then he just comes up to people and just bashes them. There’s nothing fancy about it.

When did you become involved with the project?

RW: James Gunn used to be married to Jenna Fisher who plays Pam in “The Office.” We were on the set of “The Office,” and this is a true story, this wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for Jenna Fisher. She said, “Rainn, I was talking to James the other night and I asked him how come he never did anything with that script called Super. It was my favorite script he ever wrote. He said, ‘Well I don’t really have anyone to play the lead role of Frank.’” And she said, “What about Rainn?” And he said, “Oh, that’s a great idea.” He sent me the script right over on Dwight’s desk and I printed it out and read it in my trailer. I was on board from then on. I’d seen and loved Slither, and I thought he mixed humor, horror and psychology really well. When I read the script I fell in love. It’s so messed up in so many different ways, but in a good way because it blends — It’s hard putting your finger on what the movie is. Is it a dark comedy? Is it an action movie? Is it a romance? Is it a drama? It’s got aspects of all of it and I love how he weaves all of those things into one world.

Speaking of all of that, what was it like working with Ellen Page – who’s the complete opposite of your character?

RW: It was important that Frank, my character, stays grounded and be really believable and heartfelt. He’s the steady kind of bass line of the movie in a way so that weird characters like Boltie (Ellen Page) and Jacques (Kevin Bacon) could spin out. It was great working with Ellen. We’ve worked together for one day on Juno before and this was another opportunity. We get along great, we have really similar sense of humor and she made me laugh like crazy. She’s phenomenal in the movie, she’s kind of the comical part. It interesting for me to sit back and let someone else kind of do the comedy.

The character is inspired by comic books, but it strikes me that cinematically this is more along the lines of Death Wish or even Taxi Driver. Was there a frame of reference for you when you were making this? Was there anything you watched to get in the mood?

RW: I’m glad you brought that up because people always ask those superhero movie questions but really it is a lot more like Falling Down, Death Wish or Taxi Driver than it is like Iron Man, Batman or something like that. It’s a character driven study and he just happens to dress up like a superhero. If he just went like Rambo and put on fatigues it’d be a very different movie. The absurdity is that he puts on this costume. But did I watch something? No, I don’t really do that so much. I think that my tradition as an actor – not to get all into the actor’s studio on your ass- I just get into the character. Who is this guy? Where does he start and where does he end? What does he go through all the way? What aspects of him are important physically, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically. So it’s just about really investing in the character.

Now along that same line, there’s an innocence that Frank has. When he was trying to create his costume, looking for things and trying to sew, when he gets the crayons to color pictures and things like that. Does that take you back, did you draw on your own childhood in dreams of playing superheroes?

RW: I think we all have that aspect of us where every kid at some point pretended to be a superhero, even girls. And to have magical powers, be able to fly and to just feel that power. Sure, I mean I always draw, I think every actor draws on themselves when playing a role. What would this be like and what was this like for me when I was a kid. So sure, it was definitely part of — I had a rich, deep fantasy life when I was a child. It was definitely along those lines.

Do you like having people dress up like your characters? I’m assuming that every Halloween now there’s a bunch of Dwights.

RW: Yeah, I read them on Twitter. There’s a lot of Dwights during Halloween, Dwight and Angela’s and stuff like that. I really like the bobble heads and the merchandising and the Clue games. There’s all kind of “Office”-themed games.

Did James (Gunn) just give you a lot of leeway in terms of ad-libbing or did you have a script that, because of the satiric quality of the material…

RW:I told him early on, I said “look, I’m playing this character pretty seriously and I’m going to go on this journey as Frank. My job is to bring heart to it, nobility and life to the role. I’m not going to really approach it as a comedic role. If you want extra comedy or you think something should be funny and let me know, I’ll improvise but I’m going to come in and pretty much stick to the script.” I love the script, I just love the way it was written. There were a couple of scenes we improvised between me and Ellen (Page), but I really wanted to really believably and truthfully bring the role of Frank to life. Cause it’s such a crazy movie with the special effects and violence.

What did you take away from this experience of making Super?

RW: This movie was a labor of love from the beginning. It was a real bitch to get made, it was really hard to get funding, wasn’t actually that hard to pull the cast together but it was just hard to get made. Its a really tough environment for films right now, young people just aren’t going out to the movie theaters to see independent films. They’ll go see Transformers 2 but they’re not going to pay ten dollars to go see 500 Days of Summer or an interesting indie. So it’s a tough environment and what I learned is that you can do and it was kind of like we we’re all in this together and it almost felt like we’re doing theatre. We’re all in this, lets put on a show and let’s make this movie happen. It was just a labor of love and what did I get out of it was just a really good feeling of just a really exciting feeling of having made something really special I believed in from the very beginning.

Super comes out Friday, April 1st. Check it out.

Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page in Super Movie Trailer

Krystal Clark — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:08:10 +0000

The first trailer for James Gunn’s feature film Super has been released. The movie is about a vigilante superhero and his overeager sidekick. Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page are the sadistic duo that take matters into their own hands when the cops fail. The play by their own rules and the law need not apply. Check them out in action…

Super centers on regular guy who takes on a superhero alter ego when his wife falls under the spell of a notorious drug dealer played by Kevin Bacon. And by spell we mean heroin, coke, crack, whatever drug he has in his arsenal. After she becomes a full on druggie he’s pushed to the edge and decides to take matters into his own hands.

Bacon looks pretty snazzy in this trailer. Granted he plays a horrible person, but he dresses nice. He’s almost a more modern version of his character Sebastian Shaw in X-Men First Class.

Doesn’t this bring back old Juno memories to see both Page and Wilson together again? It’s been too long.

Super opens in theaters on April 1st.

What do you think of the first trailer for Super? Does it look funny?

Source: Yahoo Movies

First Poster for James Gunn’s Super with Rainn Wilson

Krystal Clark — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:07:13 +0000

The first official poster for James Gunn’s upcoming superhero flick, aptly titled Super, has been released. The film features Rainn Wilson (“The Office“), whose face and terrifying eyes are the focal point on the one sheet. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Batman was poorer, less in shape, and less intelligent you’d have Super. Check out the full sized poster below…

Screw you crime! We love yelling at figurative elements as if they’re people. If you have no idea what the tone of this film is, you should check out the preview clip that was released a few months back. It’s hilarious and disturbing.

On another note, does anyone find it strange that Kevin Bacon appears in this movie as a villain and in X-Men First Class as a villain? Someone knows their niche!

What do you think of the poster for Super?

Source: Cinemablend

The Office: Season 7 Episode 17: Todd Packer – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:03:53 +0000

This week’s episode of “The Office” delivered the laughs and proved once again that this season isn’t as awful as it seemed to be at first. The return of Todd Packer amps up the comedy, and while there was probably room for more jokes, we’re not displeased with the final product. Very few episodes lately have been as strong as the early ones, but it’s still an entertaining show. Read our review to see how we felt…

The Players:

Director: Randall Einhorn
Writer: Amelie Gillette
Cast: Steve Carell, Amy Ryan, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Ed Helms

Episode Title: “Todd Packer”

A familiar character from early seasons returns this week, and while Michael is happy and Holly is blissfully ignorant, just about everyone else is not too pleased with the sudden presence of Todd Packer in the office. His jokes and overall attitude are so grating that sworn enemies Jim and Dwight team up with one another to prank him. In the meantime, after Pam buys a new computer for Erin, Andy wants one too, and Pam breaks some rules help him out.

The Good:

Todd Packer: Hey, we know that this character is supposed to be a jerk, and with that in mind, it’s easy enough to just enjoy the fact that he is an obnoxious pain in the ass. After all, you can’t be a fan of “The Office” if you want all of the characters to behave reasonably. It’s kind of funny to have a character who needs to come to the realization that “it’s probably not ok to call my daughter a bitch in front of other people.”
Jim and Dwight: Although their partnership gets off to a pretty rocky start when Dwight rejects one of Jim’s prank ideas and Jim pulls it on Dwight in retaliation, it was a nice change of pace to see these two collaborating on a project. Even if that project did involve sending Todd on a trip to Florida.
Kevin: It’s an easy joke to make, but when Kevin gets angry and admits that he has “very little tolerance for stupidity,” it’s hard not to laugh. His insistence on not being offended by Todd’s obviously insensitive comments is also enjoyable; he really hits the “trying not to cry” notes perfectly.

The So-So:

Holly: Holly is a little inconsistent in this episode. Sure, she is swayed by Michael’s enthusiasm for Todd and is impressed by his sales, but her wishy-washy take on Todd is a little unrealistic.
Andy: Andy is usually a fairly nice guy, but he acts very selfishly this week. He cares too much about Erin to just take her computer the way he does. It didn’t seem to fit with his character.

The Bad:

Jim and Pam: Ok, now “The Office” is getting too realistic! Since these two have been married, their relationship has been at worst non-existent, and at best forced and tense. It’s a minor complaint, but we do miss some genuine romance on this show.

Overall:

Not fantastic or memorable by any standards, but a pretty entertaining episode nonetheless. The laughs keep coming, the writing is sharp, and there isn’t a moment when we felt like changing the channel. These aren’t the kinds of episodes that made “The Office” wildly successful, but they are the kind that made it worth watching after a long day of work.

Rating: 8/10

“The Office” airs every Thursday night on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

What did you think of last night’s episode? Tell us in the comments!

The Office: Season 7 Episode 16: Threat Level Midnight – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:56:44 +0000

THE OFFICE SEASON 7: Having fully set-up the Michael/Holly relationship, “The Office” takes a break from the romantic angle this week and treats viewers to a gimmicky but effective episode which scores the laughs and showcases the talents of the various actors who appear on the show. We don’t know how long this series can last without Steve Carell, but we hope that from time to time, more focus is placed on these kinds of episodes.

The Players:

Director: Tucker Gates
Writer: B.J. Novak
Cast: Steve Carell, Amy Ryan, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Craig Robinson, Ed Helms, Jenna Fischer

Episode Title: “Threat Level Midnight”

This week references an earlier episode in the series when the office convenes to watch the final production of Michael’s movie, Threat Level Midnight. While the film is only slightly better than an Uwe Boll movie, the cast gets a kick out of seeing their characters on screen. Holly, however, doesn’t feel like it is the next Citizen Kane; predictably, Michael is not pleased.

The Good:

Humor-centric: In recent episodes, we’ve been focusing on the budding relationship between Michael and Holly, so it was nice to take a little break from all the drama and enjoy an episode that exists primarily to make us laugh. Sure, there’s a tense moment around the halfway mark, and yes, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” got more laughs with a similar episode last year, but for the most part, this one kept the humor coming.
Flashback: While thankfully avoiding the cliches of a clip-show episode, this week gave us a look back at previous seasons by briefly bringing back characters like Jan and Karen while also reminding us of a time when Jim and Pam were still longing for one another. Now if only David Wallace has made an appearance…
Toby: Toby’s involvement in the Scranton Strangler trial has kept him away from the office, but he returns this episode as a character in Threat Level Midnight–he plays “a wanted animal rapist”–who gives the movie its bloodiest and perhaps most memorable scene.
Andy: Ed Helms shows off his acting skills yet again as a bartender in Threat Level Midnight who epitomizes the way someone like Michael Scott would perceive blue-collar workers. Everything from the accent to the obsession with sports is pitch-perfect, and because Andy appeared in a play earlier this season, it’s very in keeping with his character.
Creed: Creed’s role in Threat Level Midnight is the Mr. Miyagi figure. He’s an American-Indian who teaches Michael the intricacies of hockey by having him mop the rink first. He totally sells it.

The So-So:

Production values: This episode asks us to suspend our disbelief a little too much. Sure, Michael’s movie is poorly made, but it does look like something with a genuine budget and cinematographer. He simply wouldn’t have these resources at his disposal.

The Bad:

Gotta have drama: As was mentioned before, the general comedic tone of the episode is briefly interrupted by Holly’s dislike for Michael’s movie. Granted, this moment lasts only a couple of minutes, but it feels out of place; it would have been better to allow everyone to just enjoy the fun of film.

Overall:

Major plot developments involving Michael and Holly are certainly welcome, but with their relationship more or less established, it’s good to take a step back and let “The Office” make us laugh. That’s what it’s there for, and that is what it accomplished this week. Maybe this episode didn’t completely fulfill its potential, but it was still enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10

“The office” airs every Thursday night on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

What did you think of last night’s episode? Tell us in the comments!

The Office: Season 7 Episode 15: PDA – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:41:24 +0000

Even though their relationship was only a typical sitcom romance, Jim and Pam used to hold “The Office” together. Their love for one another created an emotional core that drew in viewers even when the jokes weren’t as strong as we wanted. Now that they are married, they’ve been put in the background, but this week’s episode succeeds by celebrating a couple of other relationships on the show that are worth our attention. Read the review to see exactly how we felt..

The Players:

Director: Greg Daniels
Writer: Robert Padnick
Cast: Steve Carell, Amy Ryan, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Ed Helms, Ellie Kemper

Episode Title: “PDA”

Michael and Holly are behaving like hormonal middle-schoolers after beginning their romantic relationship anew, and their coworkers are not pleased with the constant public displays of affection. However, when the prospect of Holly moving back to Nashua is brought up, Michael is reluctant to get closer to her. In the meantime, Gabe sends Erin on a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt, and she enlists the help of Andy in the process. Jim and Pam have sex in the office. Yeah.

The Good:

Prologue: The funniest prologue of all season came with tonight’s episode. Daryl is mourning the death of his grandmother, and the office workers all signed a card to make him feel better. They just didn’t know that the card wasn’t for his birthday. “You deserve this.” Hilarious.
Andy and Erin: Although Gabe is a good guy who deserves his own happiness, we do want Andy and Erin to get together. It’s tough to be as emotionally invested in this relationship as we were in Jim and Pam’s, because Erin is such an empty character, but these two are still very cute together.
Dwight’s perfect Valentine: The final scene of the episode involves various characters describing their ideal Valentine’s day. Most are predictable, but Dwight’s is very clever (and not a bad idea, honestly).
Michael and Holly: They would be annoying to know in real life, but the attraction between these two is adorable in the way that two infatuated fourteen year-olds are. During a season in which Michael has primarily been a jerk, it’s good to see him truly happy, even if it happened a little too suddenly.

The So-So:

Jim and Pam: It was terrific to see these two in action together again, but when that relationship is relegated to sex in the office, you have to miss the emotional punch they brought to the show.
Kevin: Kevin has brought us some classic moments–Holly meeting him after being told he was mentally challenged comes to mind–but this episode goes a little over-the-top with his stupidity. He’s awkward; he isn’t Forrest Gump.

The Bad:

Michael and Holly: While for the most part, these two justify their inclusion in the “good” section of this review, the brief conflict that comes about when they realize tht Holly may have to move to Nashua is resolved too quickly. It feels like it was rushed, but that’s something we can live with.

Overall:

A very nice episode that focused on characters we all (usually) love. Michael and Holly make us believe that ridiculous dreams come true, Erin and Andy warm our heart with their unspoken attraction, and Jim and Pam do something a lot of us would like to. The humor isn’t as strong as it used to be, but the prologue just about makes up for that.

Rating: 8.5/10

“The Office” airs every Thursday night on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

What did you think of last night’s episode? Tell us in the comments!

The Office: Season 7 Episode 14: The Search – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:36:08 +0000

A major story arc of “The Office“ that has spanned this season and last arrived exactly where we all knew it was headed tonight, although it felt fairly anticlimactic. Maybe it’s hard to make a moment that everyone foresaw feel poignant, but it’s disappointing to think that something we waited this long for had little effect. Add to that an absence of good jokes, and we can’t say we were too thrilled with this episode. Read our review to find out why…

The Players:

Director: Michael Spiller
Writer: Brent Forrester
Cast: Steve Carell, Amy Ryan, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski

Episode Title: “The Search”

Michael is eager to get into a relationship with Holly but she’s not ready to commit to someone again. However, on a car trip with Jim, Michael uses a gas station restroom and is left behind when Jim must rush home after hearing this his mother-in-law locked his baby in the car, and Holly, Dwight and Erin go searching for him. In the meantime, Pam holds a “caption contest” at the office, but Gabe’s rules make it difficult for anyone to participate.

The Good:

Creed’s photo: The best comedy shows (“The Simpsons” springs to mind) pay attention to all the little details in a scene; if there’s laughs to be had, a good comedy writer will find them. Case in point: Michael dines at a Chinese restaurant but is unable to pay, earning his photo a spot on the “thief” wall. As it turns out, a coworker of his was also on that wall…
Dwight: Hunter, gatherer, personal security guard–if it’s a “manly” occupation, Dwight thinks that he’s already mastered it. His insistence on proving himself as a “tracker” in this episode isn’t unique, but classic Dwight moments like that one are still funny. His extremely racist treatment of an employee at the Chinese restaurant was also very entertaining.

The So-So:

Michael and Holly: A nearly telepathic mental connection between Michael and Holly leads them to the same rooftop, where they share a long-awaited kiss. But it feels rushed. Maybe it is because we know Michael will soon be off the show, and it feels like everything is wrapping up too quickly, but for some reason, it just didn’t have the same emotional impact as moments like Jim’s proposal to Pam.
Caption Contest: Going back to what we were saying about squeezing as much comedy into one episode as possible–”The Office” used to be good at balancing a few subplots within an episode to get the maximum amount of jokes in. Sadly, while half this episode is spent focusing on the occasionally amusing search for Michael, the other half is spent focusing on the barely amusing caption contest side story. In the early seasons, these kinds of plots either allowed the personalities of the office workers to shine, or highlighted the budding relationships going on among the the characters. Now they’re just becoming filler material.

The Bad:

Jim and Pam: These two used to be the emotional core of the show. Now they’re little more than background characters. It would be nice if any of the other romantic subplots were as effective as theirs was, but all the other ones involve goofy characters who are hard to take seriously on an emotional level. We miss what these two brought to the show.

Overall:

It’s hard to view an episode like this objectively because given the momentous nature of what is happening, we want it to be the best episode of the season. We want it to warm our hearts, but if it can’t do that, it should at least be able to make us laugh. It fails in both respects, so it’s safe to say this episode was a disappointment.

Rating: 5/10

“The Office” airs every Thursday night on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

How did you feel about this episode? Did it live up to your expectations?

Michael C. Hall and Rainn Wilson in Peep World Trailer

Krystal Clark — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:47:29 +0000

Are you ready for another awesome off-beat ensemble comedy? Do you want to see Michael C. Hall step away from his intense “Dexter-persona” for something a little lighter? If you answered yes, you’re in luck. The award winning actor appears in the upcoming film Peep World, which takes the dysfunctional family comedy to a whole other level. Check out the trailer…

Peep World was recently picked up by IFC Films and it looks like a safe bet. The film has a talented cast and it looks hilarious. The movie centers on a family in turmoil after the youngest sibling writes a successful book that airs out their dirty secrets. The cast includes Ron Rifkin, Rainn Wilson, Sarah Silverman, Ben Schwartz, Taraji P. Henson, Judy Greer, Kate Mara and Stephen Tobolowsky.

We’re happy to see Ben Schwartz in a lead role in a feature film. He was the only entertaining part of the now defunct series “Undercovers.” We’re happy we can get our comedic fix somewhere else.

Peep World’s release date is currently listed as coming soon.

What do you think of the trailer for Peep World?

Source: Yahoo Movies

The Office: Season 7 Episode 12: Ultimatum – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:33:50 +0000

“The Office” returns for the new year and the big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not Holly is still with AJ. While this episode doesn’t make as much headway on that situation as some viewers would want, we’re obviously getting there, and the writing is sharp and funny enough that most people were probably entertained last night, anyway. Check out our review for our full thoughts…

The Players

Director: David Rogers
Writer: Carrie Kemper
Cast: Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, Amy Ryan, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Craig Robinson, Ed Helms

Episode Title: “Ultimatum”

Prior to the break, Holly made it clear that if AJ was unwilling to propose to her before the new year, she’d end the relationship. Michael prepares for either outcome–that she’s engaged, or that she’s single–and anxiously waits to hear the verdict. Although he is at first thrilled to discover that she isn’t engaged, he’s less pleased when he discovers that she didn’t stay true to her word and break up with AJ. In the meantime, everyone in the office is encouraged to make New Year’s resolutions, and Andy and Dwight’s resolution to “find a loose woman” leads them to, of all places, the local roller skating rink.

The Good:

It’s funny: This season started out slow and didn’t improve all that much for a long time. The writing that had been so clever and entertaining in past seasons was simply not working. Luckily, that seems to have changed with the past few episodes, and this one keeps us moving in the right direction. Sure, some of the laughs are easy–Holly displays her bare ring fingers to indicate that she’s not engaged, and Kevin, misunderstanding, gives her the middle finger–but that doesn’t make them any less humorous.
Roller rink: Anyone who has ever attended a middle school birthday party at a roller rink in a small American town knows how depressing those places can be, and this episode is spot on. Dwight, Andy and Darryl are literally the only customers, with a teenage DJ doing his best to keep them entertained with strobe lights and Dave Matthews Band songs.
Creed: Creed’s New Year’s Resolution: perform a cartwheel perfectly but not make a big thing about it. This show could always use more of Creed’s random thoughts. They come out of nowhere and are so absurd that they are always funny.

The So-So:

Holly and Michael: We all know where this subplot is going, and while it’s nice to have the show become emotionally engaging again, it’s not as strong as the Jim and Pam relationship simply because most viewers already know that Steve Carell will only be on the show for a few more episodes. It sometimes feels like we’re just going through the motions to get to the happy ending.

The Bad:

Bookstore: Darryl’s resolution was to read more, so he convinces Dwight and Andy to drive him to the bookstore by claiming that it is a great place for picking up girls. There’s some great comedy potential there, but in the interests of time, we don’t get to maximize that potential. There’s one awkward moment where Andy and Dwight pretend to work at the store in order to get to know a female customer, but the writer probably could have squeezed a few more laughs out of this situation.

Overall:

A very funny episode that delivers the goods for most viewers. If you tuned in to see where Holly and Michael stand, enough progress was made to keep you more or less satisfied. If you just wanted some laughs, those were also in good supply. It’s an episode you wish was longer, so that’s a good thing, right?

Rating: 8.5/10

“The Office” airs every Thursday on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

With Steve Carell’s involvement winding down, can this show survive without him?

The Office: Season 7 Episode 9: WUPHF.com – TV Review

Joseph Oliveto — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:34:02 +0000

This season of “The Office” has been a disappointment, to say the least. But you wouldn’t know it watching last night’s episode. Packed with clever jokes and some of our favorite characters reminding us why we’ve watched this show religiously for years, last night’s episode was an extremely pleasant surprise. Check out the review to see why…

The Players:

Writer: Aaron Shure
Cast: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Ed Helms, B.J. Novak

Episode Title: “WUPHF.com”

Ryan channels Sean Parker on this week’s episode when he starts a social networking tool that allows Facebook messages to be sent directly to your cell phone, home phone, e-mail account and fax machine. His co-workers are eager to invest in the idea but start to panic when they realize the company could go bankrupt in nine days. In the meantime, Dwight runs a small, hay-themed amusement park in the parking lot, and Jim looks for ways to amuse himself around the office when he discovers that Sabre has imposed a commission cap that deprives him of any incentive to make sales.

The Good:

Michael: Michael’s been pretty obnoxious this season, but he’s had some moments that make us hate him a little less. Ryan manipulates the friendship Michael thinks that they share to keep him invested in the company, but Michael is finally able to admit that Ryan is a lazy, image-obsessed employee. Just that realization alone would have been impressive enough but Michael goes on to say that he won’t make Ryan sell WUPHF.com, despite everyone else in the office urging him to do so, because he isn’t the kind of boss who gives up on hiw own people. This is followed by a nice scene where he comments on everyone’s role in the office, and it makes us a little sad to know he’ll be leaving.
Kevin: Kevin’s man-child qualities aren’t always realistic, but sometimes they score some major laughs. (Remember when Holly thought he was mentally challenged?) This episode finds him getting severely lost in a hay maze designed by Dwight. A hay maze that small children were able to successfully navigate in minutes.
Dwight’s business: Speaking of Dwight, it’s a little bizarre that he’s able to run his little amusement park all day, considering he has a full-time job at Dunder-Mifflin, but we’ll overlook that minor plot hole in favor of praising this subplot because it is often very funny. When a little girl runs up to him because she won the “find the needle in the haystack” competition, he responds, “Do you know what you win? Nothing. Life lesson: some tasks aren’t worth doing.” That is a classic Dwight moment.
WUPHF.com: Hey, that’s just a good idea. Kudos to the writer for not copping out with a half-assed excuse for an Internet company that Ryan could start up. We could actually believe that people would want to invest in this.

The So-So:

Jim’s boredom: Jim is pretty bored in this episode, and as a result, we get a little bored ourselves. The elaborate prank that he pulls on Gabe is clever, sure, but it seems a little far-fetched.

The Bad:

Angela’s new man: It’s not clear where the various romantic subplots are all headed this season, and the introduction of a new potential love interested in Angela’s life is a complication we could probably do without.

Overall:

Wow. Now that is more like it. In a season that may be the worst one so far for this show, this episode stands out as an instant classic. The characters are in top form, the comedy is consistent, and there’s a touch of genuine emotion. Looks like there may still be reason to stay tuned.

Rating: 9/10

“The Office” airs every Thursday night on NBC!

Photo Gallery:

Were you as happy with last night’s episode as we were? Tell us in the comments!

ScreenCrave.com » Rainn Wilson

Hesher: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

Comparisons:

Overall:

New Rating: 8.75/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Related Posts

Trailer: Hesher Time for Some Rock N’ Roll Baby!

Related Posts

Interview: Rainn Wilson for Super

Related Posts

Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page in Super Movie Trailer

Related Posts

First Poster for James Gunn’s Super with Rainn Wilson

Related Posts

The Office: Season 7 Episode 17: Todd Packer – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “Todd Packer”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 8/10

Photo Gallery:

Related Posts

The Office: Season 7 Episode 16: Threat Level Midnight – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “Threat Level Midnight”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 8/10

Photo Gallery:

Related Posts

The Office: Season 7 Episode 15: PDA – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “PDA”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 8.5/10

Photo Gallery:

Related Posts

The Office: Season 7 Episode 14: The Search – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “The Search”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 5/10

Photo Gallery:

Related Posts

Michael C. Hall and Rainn Wilson in Peep World Trailer

Related Posts

The Office: Season 7 Episode 12: Ultimatum – TV Review

The Players

Episode Title: “Ultimatum”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 8.5/10

Photo Gallery:

Related Posts

The Office: Season 7 Episode 9: WUPHF.com – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “WUPHF.com”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 9/10

Photo Gallery:

Related Posts